1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a slide switch apparatus capable of performing a slide operation in a predetermined direction. In particular, the present invention relates to a slide switch apparatus useful for being mounted on a lens unit of a photographing appliance such as a video camera or a digital still camera.
2. Description of Related Art
Regarding a recent photographing apparatus such as a video camera or a digital still camera, the functionality and performance have increased, and a model with a lens portion having a wide-ranging function is becoming mainstream. Furthermore, although the operation of the photographing apparatus is performed in most cases with a switch placed on a camera body side, the operation related to a lens function may be performed with a switch placed in a lens barrel portion. As such a switch placed in the lens barrel portion, for example, a slide switch mainly is used in most cases, as disclosed in JP 3(1991)-236006 A.
FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing an outer appearance of a conventional photographing apparatus. FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line Z-Z in FIG. 16
As shown in FIG. 16, a camera body 300 includes a substantially cylindrical lens unit 301 on a front case 302. In the lens unit 301, a lens group including a focus lens, a zoom lens, and the like is placed. A lens ring 303 placed on a cylindrical surface of the lens unit 301 is provided with a slide knob 304 that is slidable in an arrow P or Q direction.
As shown in FIG. 17, a slide switch 305 is placed below the slide knob 304, and a protrusion 306 of the slide switch 305 is fitted in a lower end of the slide knob 304. The slide switch 305 is fixed to a lens frame 308.
In the above configuration, when the slide knob 304 is slid in the arrow P or Q direction, the protrusion 306 slides in the arrow P or Q direction in synchronization with the movement of the slide knob 304, whereby a switching operation can be performed.
However, the configuration disclosed in JP 3(1991)-236006 A has the following problem: since the slide switch 305 is placed below the slide knob 304, the lens unit 301 (cylinder) cannot be miniaturized. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 17, the outer diameter of the lens unit 301 is required to have at least a thickness R of the slide knob 304 and the slide switch 305, so that the lens unit 301 cannot be miniaturized further.